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Editor’s Note — TRO wants to remind its Travelgram readers the articles presented here are meant to assist you in remaining informed and prepared to discuss travel news of the day with clients.
Destinations
Xanadu? No, It’s Xala, the Anti-Resort on Mexico’s Pacific Coast
In the region of Costalegre, Mexico, along a rugged Pacific coastline south of Puerto Vallarta, a place has emerged not unlike the Madrigal family sanctuary in Encanto: a self-sustaining development and community, poised to welcome visitors in 2023. Within 3,000 acres is five miles…
— AFAR
Japan is open to travel. So why aren't tourists coming back?
Summer 2022 has been dominated by stories about travel mishaps, overcrowding at major destinations and airports and life-threatening heat waves in Europe. Yet in Asia, where many countries are reopening in a more gradual fashion -- with fewer flight cancellations or horror…
— CNN
12 Best U.S. Seaside Cities for a Summer Escape
Summer oftentimes means time spent out at the beach or out at sea, but these coastal cities offer visitors and locals alike the opportunity to enjoy some urban amenities, including the top-notch shopping and dining that a more “metropolitan” spot would offer. Here are 12 of the most…
— Fodor's Travel
Tours and Activities
Spain's La Tomatina fest: what to know for 2022
The last Wednesday in August marks Spain’s messiest festival. Held in Buñol, 40km (25 miles) west of Valencia, La Tomatina is a tomato-throwing spectacle that draws 20,000 revelers each year. If you’re planning on becoming part of the human passata, here’s all the information you…
— Lonely Planet
Yellowstone In The Winter? Consider A Skiing Or Snowshoeing Tour
Yellowstone is a wonderland like none other - it's no surprise it was America's very first national park. Yellowstone is regarded as America's very best wildlife hotspot and is a place where one can see the best of American wildlife year-round. While summer is the peak season, winter…
— The Travel
Cruise
Carnival Cruise Line adjusts Covid testing protocols
Following on the heels of Royal Caribbean’s decision yesterday to no longer require Covid testing for passengers on short cruises, Carnival today followed suit. A press release issued Friday afternoon said Carnival Cruise Line is “adjusting certain protocols to reflect the lifting of CDC…
— Travel Research Online
How The Length Of Your Cruise Affects Pre-Cruise Testing Policies
A popular cruise company is updating its COVID-19 testing policy on several of its sails, joining others that have already done the same. Royal Caribbean is making changes for those passengers who are vaccinated. Starting August 8, testing will be required for unvaccinated…
— Travel Awaits
Transportation
Delta Just Opened Its Only International Sky Club Lounge — Here's Where
Delta Air Lines opened its only international Sky Club lounge in Tokyo on Friday, July 29, welcoming guests with sake, a made-to-order noodle bar, and more. The lounge, which was initially expected to open in the summer of 2020 before building was stymied by the pandemic, is…
— Travel+Leisure
Are airplane seats too small? FAA soliciting public comments on minimum dimensions
Congress ordered the Federal Aviation Administration to establish minimum dimensions for airplane seats within a year when the agency's funding was renewed in October 2018. The FAA has yet to comply. But this week the agency will take a step toward creating a new seat size…
— USA Today
Lodging
10 Best Luxury Hotels in the World for a No-Expense-Spared Getaway
It’s been a weird couple years for travel. By this point, most of us have attempted a trip or two—masked and vaxxed, we hope—most likely out of obligation to see family or friends. As for a more pampered, head-clearing escape, some have crossed the country, maybe even the Atlantic…
— Men's Journal
Airbnb Cracks Down On Host Cancellations, What It Means For Travelers
Beginning this August, Airbnb will be changing its host cancelation fee structure in to crack down on hosts who cancel reservations at the last minute. Airbnb has grown to be a wildly popular platform over the last decade, and it continues to offer affordable, unique, and diverse…
— Travel Off Path
Other and Odd
New Laws and Fees Aim to Avoid Overtourism—Or At Least Make It Pay
Airfares are crazy, baggage handlers are on strike, and it’s 100 degrees outside. And this month, a tide of regulations, taxes, fees and protestors is asking people to please just stay away. But nothing, it seems, will stem the tide of tourists this summer. Still, the world’s top destinations are…
— Travel Research Online
Ireland's priceless treasure hidden by monks
One of the most exciting archaeological finds in the history of Irish art was unearthed on Tipperary's Derrynaflan Island by a man and his son using metal detectors. "Go up there and dip your finger in the holy water – it's always full," insisted the farmer on the way to Derrynaflan…
— BBC
Today in History
The Last Diary Entry of Anne Frank
From July 6, 1942 until August 4, 1944, a teenage Jewish girl kept a diary. She was in hiding with her family and others in the Netherlands from Nazis deporting Jews to concentration camps. Hidden away in a small set of…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
TRO Canva Templates Week of 08.01.22
Use these Canva Templates to market your travel agency…
— Travel Research Online
Editorial Musings
State of the Travel Industry: Is It Time to Quit?
by John Frenaye
Monday August 01, 2022
This month, bac k in 1997, I was negotiating the purchase of my first agency. I had never bought a business before and learned a lot in the process. Domestic airline fares had recently been cut and capped, but international was still viable. Since then (in no particular order) – recessions, wars, SARS, more caps and cuts, 911, Mad Cow Disease, Swine Flu, Zika, Ebola, and of course, COVID. Did the Bubonic Plague make an appearance too? Toss in employee issues, rising insurance costs, and increased competition from the Internet and even suppliers; is it any wonder when I was out to dinner the other night, someone asked, “So now, do you think it is time to quit?” And after some thought, my answer…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
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Publishers Corner
What Travel Professionals Can Learn from Waiters
by Richard Earls
Monday August 01, 2022
There are loads of lessons to be gained by watching a professional waiter. In many ways, the profession of being a server in a dining establishment is especially instructive. Not only do most of us have frequent exposure to waiters, but many of us have actually been servers.
Who does not enjoy a truly great waiter? It does not matter if the meal is in a breakfast diner or a fine restaurant, a great waiter improves the experience. Equally true, a bad waiter can ruin the best of food. Here’s what I see as the quality that makes a great waiter great: intuition and timing.
A great waiter certainly knows the menu, can recommend a wine, and does so…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
Cruising in 2022: Preparing Your Clients to Set Sail
Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Cruising has made a big comeback this year. The CDC removed the Travel Health Notice altogether at the end of March. Many major cruise lines have eased masking requirements and adjusted testing protocols. And cruise deals weren’t just for wave season this year – cruise-goers can still get unprecedented discounts on sailings of all shapes and sizes. All of this has made taking a cruise easier and more affordable than ever.
Register Now ➠
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